Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $740 in Fuzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,193 in Fuzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,646 in Fuzhou.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 237% more expensive than in Fuzhou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Fuzhou is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$2.94 ¥19.72

525.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$23.25 ¥156

197.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$5.25 ¥35.24

169.14%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$2.51 ¥16.85

24.70%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.59

$0.47 ¥3.15

542.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.29 ¥1.97

575.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$0.86 ¥5.75

365.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$1.73 ¥11.62

175.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.98 ¥13.28

-36.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.41 ¥9.47

53.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$0.98 ¥6.56

72.45%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.62 ¥10.87

204.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$7.54 ¥50.6

137.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$2.84 ¥19.06

238.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$9.44 ¥63.4

104.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$1.78 ¥11.95

82.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.27 ¥8.50

71.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.67 ¥11.23

59.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.11 ¥7.42

149.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.87 ¥5.84

154.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.03 ¥6.91

112.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.47 ¥3.12

223.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.49 ¥3.27

87.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$3.00 ¥20.16

137.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$11.06 ¥74.2

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.76 ¥5.13

97.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$1.21 ¥8.13

129.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.31 ¥2.11

916.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

$24.11 ¥162

11.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.46 ¥9.83

122.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.31 ¥2.09

383.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

$7.18 ¥48.19

385.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.26 ¥8.48

38.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.7K €31.5K

$19.4K ¥130.5K

88.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.9K €26.6K

$15.6K ¥104.9K

97.91%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$188 €161

$43.06 ¥289

335.74%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.44 €13.27

$8.41 ¥56.5

83.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$9.10 ¥61.0

315.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$42.05 ¥282

35.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$15.14 ¥102

10.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$7.42 ¥49.75

56.06%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,003 €862

$208 ¥1,398

381.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$11.7K ¥78.7K

45.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$39.49 ¥265

125.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$29.04 ¥195

40.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$92.0 ¥617

19.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$86.1 ¥578

42.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$430 ¥2,887

288.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$238 ¥1,597

459.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$1,037 ¥6,955

150.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$468 ¥3,137

317.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$4,594 ¥30.8K

64.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,263 ¥15.2K

137.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$992 ¥6,656

142.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.22

-1.86%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Fuzhou: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $430 in Fuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 142% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $23.00 in Fuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $179 per month, with Fuzhou cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Fuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Fuzhou differ by about 237% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $740 including rent). Fuzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 142% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $430 in Fuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $208 in Fuzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $740 in Fuzhou versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fuzhou but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Fuzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Fuzhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.